In many instances, it is necessary to position a patient lying laterally upon an operating or examining table in an angular position relative to the table instead of a strictly supine position.
Heretofore, arrangements including a plurality of foam positioner blocks have been used as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,023. However, this arrangement provides only for a normal vertical side position on the table and not for rotating the patient's lateral body position to different angular positions relative to the table.
In many instances, as where the patient is under sedation, the use of a plurality of smaller spaced foam blocks would not result in stability of the patient on the table.
Foam support cushions have also been used in various shapes and sizes to support a person's body while in a strictly supine or reclined position as, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,286. These cushions differ from positioner of the present invention in that they would not present a substantial support for a patient's entire lateral body length while lying in a side-rotated position, nor would they have the adjustability afforded by positioners of the present invention for a patient while in a side-rotated position.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a versatile body positioner block which has a plurality of major support surfaces to adjustably position the body of the patient while lying laterally on an operating or examining table.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a body positioner block which will create a substantial lateral support for the patient on the table to provide stability for the patient's position.